A Bit About C++
In this lesson, you will be introduced to C++ and its various features.
What is C++?#
C++ is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language developed by Bjarne Stroustrup in 1979. It is an extension of C. Depending on our requirements, we can use C++ to either code in “C style” or “object-oriented style”.
C++ features#
The most important features of C++ are listed below.
Platform dependent#
C++ is a platform-dependent language. This means that a program written and compiled on a particular operating system won’t run on any other operating system. For example, a C++ program developed and compiled in the Windows operating system will not run on macOS, Linux, or Android OS.
Intermediate-level language#
C++ supports the features of both high-level and low-level programming languages. That is why it is known as an intermediate-level programming language.
Object-oriented#
C++ is an object-oriented programming language (OOP). OOP makes development easier by breaking a complex problem into subproblems using objects.
Structured#
C++ is a structured programming language, which means that we can divide a program into different parts using functions.
Statically-typed#
C++ is a statically-typed language. In a statically-typed language, the variable types are explicitly declared and are determined at compile time.
Compiled#
C++ is a compiled programming language, which means that programs written on it cannot be executed without compilation.
Support-rich library#
C++ Standard Template Library (STL) provides a lot of inbuilt functions. STL makes development faster and easier.
Speed#
The compilation and execution time of C++ is much faster than other general-purpose programming languages.
Multi-paradigm#
C++ supports different styles of programming. Developers can choose a programming style according to their use case.
Pointer#
C++ supports the features of pointers. Pointers are used to interact with the memory.
Let’s learn about the history of C++.
The History of C++